


EVANESCE

by kwuintessence



Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: Horror, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:57:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8409451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwuintessence/pseuds/kwuintessence
Summary: "I woke up and you were gone. There were footsteps... I knew it wasn't you but I didn't know where you were, all I knew was that I had to find you no matter what."





	1. AMBIVALENCE

 

[ **I** ]

  
  
  


_ “This would make for a charming little place of our own!” _

_ “Baby, it’s not little at all…”  _ Seungyoon mumbled as he stared up at the overwhelmingly derelict facade of the two-story house in front of them, his arm gently wrapping around his husband’s waist as he pulled him close.

_ “We’ll grow into it. It will just be perfect for us!” _

Seungyoon sighed, leave it to his husband - Jinwoo, to find quite frankly the most miserable looking house that he’s ever laid eyes on. Of course, he didn’t dare tell him that, he didn’t have the heart to. Not when his husband has gotten all dreamy over it, stars literally shooting out of his eyes each time he spoke to him about it and asked him to go with him and see it.

_ Fixer upper? This is a lost cause! _ Seungyoon auto-smiles yet again as Jinwoo grasped his hand and started pulling him towards the house or at least whatever that thing is in front of them that ambiguously resembled it. 

Straggly grass and rampant weeds covered most of the front yard while ivy had overtaken one side of the house as if sucking out what little life it had left in it, shingles were half-sliding off the roof, the front porch looked appallingly ramshackled, one of the glass windows upstairs is broken, the mailbox has been knocked down along with about half of the picket fence - tire tracks and crusted mud was all over it. Calling the house  _ ‘dilapidated’ _ at this point would be putting it kindly.

_ “I swear, it’s so much better inside!”  _ Jinwoo told him, his sparkly starry eyes gazing up at him in a way that his husband knew he found hard to resist -  _ totally not fair. _

Still grumbling under his breath, the earth dips under his sneakers, soft and muddy. Reaching the front porch, the weather-beaten wood creaks ominously under their feet. Jinwoo’s smile doesn’t falter when he drops the keys and not even when he fails to push the door open after a few attempts. Seungyoon eventually helps him, the paint chipped door gives way and creaks open into vast darkness and the smell of mold.

The windows downstairs were partially boarded up from the inside, vague sunlight trickled in between the wood illuminating the interior of the house revealing the greying ostentatiously patterned wallpaper that was already peeling off the walls. Jinwoo moved ahead, visibly excited. Seungyoon stayed close to him, intent on not letting go of his hand - he has to, in case this  _ ‘pile of kindling’ _ starts to fold over and they need to make a run for it.

On their immediate left was the living room - a stone fireplace was on the far wall with an olden portrait of a woman with a red parasol haphazardly hanging above it. 

_ “Baby, what happened to the house we looked at before this one?” _ Seungyoon glanced towards his husband who was now busy looking at some old framed photographs sitting on the mantel, all are covered in a thick layer of dust. _ “You know, the one with the skylight in the master's bedroom that we like.” _

_ “Compared to that one this house is ridiculously cheap.” _ Jinwoo picked up one of the frames and inspected it closely.  _ “It’s out of the way so we’ll have plenty of privacy and with all this room you can finally have your own studio at home.” _

_ “Forget having a studio.” _ Seungyoon frowned, _ “What if recording runs late and I can’t come home right away? Will you be alright out here all on your own?” _

Jinwoo chuckled softly and placed the frame he was inspecting back on the mantel. It was of a little boy building a sandcastle on the beach with a distinct dark patch on his lower arm that looked like a bird with outstretched wings -  _ a birthmark _ , possibly.

_ “I’ll be just fine.” _ Jinwoo said, leaning towards him and pecking his cheek. _ “I’ll be here. At home. Safe and sound.”  _

Seungyoon scowled at his response and Jinwoo returned it with a cheeky grin as he playfully pinched his cheeks. _ “You’ve always wanted a dog, right? With how big this place is, it will have so much space to run around.” _

_ “But this house is far from the city.” _ Seungyoon said, letting out a frustrated huff of breath.  _ “What if something happens while I’m gone? We don’t know anyone out here and our nearest neighbor is more than a mile away...” _

Jinwoo cocked an eyebrow at him.  _ “Why do you keep thinking that something will happen?”  _ Seungyoon can tell by the tone of his voice that he was starting to get exasperated.

_ “Baby, you know I don’t like leaving you alone at home.” _

_ “Well, you can’t bring me everywhere with you either.” _

Seungyoon’s lips smoothed in a line and a moment of silence settled between them. Jinwoo lowered his gaze, twisting the wedding band on his ring finger, something he does whenever he’s feeling anxious.

_ “I know. I’m sorry.”  _ Seungyoon bit into his bottom lip,  _ “I just worry about you. A lot.” _ he reached up, his thumb caressing Jinwoo’s cheek.  _ “I can’t help it. You’re someone I want to protect and I always want to keep close.” _

Jinwoo sighed softly,  _ “I know that, but you should know that I just want what’s best for us - what’s best for you.” _ he leaned towards him again, forcing eye contact,  _ “Promise me you’ll at least think about this place. We have to be practical...even more now that we’ve decided to start a family.” _

  
  
  
  
  


_ “I have to go, Taehyun-ah. Jinwoo has gone off on his own again.” _

_ “No, don’t call me. I’ll call you.” _

_ “Yes, yes. Thanks. I’ll make sure to make him listen to your demo later.” _

Seungyoon stepped back into the house after he finished his phone call. Peering into the hall, he found that Jinwoo was not where he thought he would be. Standing at the foyer, he grudgingly takes a mental note of the scuffs on the hardwood on a particular spot under the stairs along with some slashed wallpaper - the work of vandals, he surmised. Running a hand through his hair, he went off to search for his husband.

He managed to get a quick glimpse of the kitchen and dining area before passing by a small bathroom with an octagonal window that overlooked the woods. He tries the tap in there, curious, feeling relieved the moment clear cool water trickled out and not the brown gunk he was expecting. As he moved closer towards the back of the house, Seungyoon grew aware of a light floral scent that hung in the air. Sunlight streamed in from the glass top-half of the Dutch-style door that lead to the backyard.

Seungyoon found his husband outside, quietly staring up an enormous tree with wiry looking branches covered in creamy white blossoms. The blossoms are unique, something he hasn’t seen before - it had four petals, each with a tiny little ‘notch’ at the tip. The bark looked weathered and rough, somewhat resembling dragon scales. Seungyoon grew silent as he surveyed the rest of the backyard, sunlight was streaming in through the trees, there was a chainlink fence that separated it from the adjacent woods and it was in terrible condition. He scrunches up his nose, turning towards his husband only to find him still staring up at the tree.

_ “Hey baby, did you find something interesting?” _

Jinwoo blinked a few times, pausing for a moment before he finally looked his way, confusion evident on his face.

_ “Seungyoonie, what are we...doing out here?” _

_ “What do you mean?” _ Seungyoon stared at his husband, puzzled.  _ “I told you to stay with me in the front yard but you went back in when I had my back turned then I found you out here.” _

Jinwoo doesn’t say anything for a long moment after that, he starts twisting his ring again.

_ “Are you alright?” _ Seungyoon asked, grasping his hand to stop him.

_ “I’m good.”  _ Jinwoo replied a beat later, gripping his hand back tightly.  _ “We should go upstairs and check out the bedrooms.” _

  
  
  
  
  


The first room was decent-sized and had the window with the broken glass that he saw from outside the house. Seungyoon reluctantly stepped in, dust motes floating before his eyes. Behind him he heard a light creaking sound, he turned back to find Jinwoo inspecting the back of the door.

_ “This must have been a child’s room.” _

Seungyoon moved beside him, staring at the yellowing stickers of long past cartoon characters still stuck on the wood.

_ “Seungyoonie, what would you like?” _ Jinwoo’s voice has gotten lower, he noticed. _ “Do you want us to have a baby boy or a baby girl? _

_ “Whichever.”  _ Seungyoon grinned, turning to place a brief kiss on the corner of his husband’s slightly upturned lips.  _ “Just don’t forget about me. You promised that I’ll always be your number one.” _

Jinwoo started laughing and pulled him closer, leaning in for another.  _ “You have it all wrong, Seungyoonie.” _

_ “Uh...how?”  _ Seungyoon asked, looking at his husband’s face, brows furrowing.

Jinwoo dramatically rolled his eyes at him and shook his head,  _ “You’re not my number one. You’re my ONLY one.” _

  
  
  
  
  


By the time they reached the second bedroom across the stairs they were both out of breath from alternating between laughing and kissing the heck out of each other. There was just something exquisitely endearing in the way Jinwoo would out-cheese him when he least expects it. It made him even more lovable in his eyes, more irresistible.

_ “There’s so much ‘house’ to see.” _ Seungyoon tells his husband at one point,  _ “I’m getting overwhelmed.” _

_ “There’s still the study, the basement, and another bedroom. Did you already see the kitchen and dining area?” _

_ “I took a little peek a while ago when I was looking for you.” _ Seungyoon tugged his husband back, gently resting his chin on his shoulder.  _ “Can we please go after this?” _

Jinwoo turned back and smacked his arm lightly,  _ “What am I going to do with you? You’re such a big kid!” _

  
  
  
  
  


The door to the second bedroom swung open easily and Jinwoo coaxes him to step in first. Sunlight flooded the room warming the floorboards and making it appear bright and airy - or _ maybe _ it was the lack of furniture that made it seem that way. Simply put, there wasn’t much in there for them to see. Seungyoon walked over to the tri-panel window that jutted out towards the front yard and stared out. Everything around them is quiet and still - it’s just him, Jinwoo, and this house. The floral scent is back again, it was never really gone but the scent has gotten much more pronounced now that they are in that particular room. It was almost as if they were standing back out and in front of the tree in the backyard.

_ “This place needs fixing. A LOT of fixing.” _ there was an ‘almost’-smile on his face as he said it and Seungyoon had no doubt that it was the way Jinwoo was looking at him that was making him feel that way.

_ “It’s not too bad.” _ Jinwoo insisted,  _ “It will give me something to do.” _

Seungyoon looked at him, perturbed. Visualizing his husband working towards restoring this house only made him grow even more uneasy,  _ “You can’t be serious, baby.” _

_ “We can hire a contractor to help out.” _ Jinwoo said matter-of-factly.

Seungyoon watches his husband’s face and contemplates. He doesn’t know what to do. Jinwoo almost never asks for anything and rarely makes a rise, it would be all too easy to give in to him but there’s this odd indefinite feeling stirring low in his gut that has started from the moment he crossed the threshold of this house.

_ “I know this place isn’t much to look at now.”  _ Jinwoo reached out slowly, eyes earnest as he took hold of his hand,  _ “But I think you and I can do it. We can turn this house into our home.” _

He chews his lip as Jinwoo watches him, reconsidering. As always, his husband’s dark eyes rattled him in a way only they can. It still had the same effect on him as it did the first time he gazed in them. Stiffness creeps into Seungyoon’s posture, right now he feels like playing the part of a pet owner who plans to woo his precious kitten that has gone wayward back into the safety of his porch with cream in a saucer.

The sky was just starting to turn a fiery reddish orange when Seungyoon looked out the window again, that’s when he takes notice of it - a crack in the corner of the glass though he could have sworn that it wasn’t there just a minute ago. He inspects it, running his finger over it. _ “ _

_ I don’t know, Jinwoo.” _ the house creaks, outside the wind has picked up,  _ “I really don’t know.” _

 

 


	2. PRESAGE

[ **II** ]

  
  
  


Seungyoon’s breath is hot, quick, and desperate. His heart pounding wildly in his chest as his blood rushed loudly in his ears. He’s on his knees, digging through the dirt under the veil of darkness - fingers bloody and throbbing in pain as he gripped grass, sharp edged rocks, and clumps of mud. By now his husband’s name is a mantra on his lips, although his voice barely scratches their way out of his too dry throat.

Feeling something solid under his fingers, tears leak unannounced from the corners of his eyes as he frantically dug even further. He’s digging even faster now, scattering leaves of crimson, a mound of dirt around him - all he can think about is his husband trapped under the ground. Seungyoon’s back aches, arms screaming under the strain but he won’t give up, he won’t stop,  _ his husband is waiting _ . Finally reaching the wood, he starts to pound on it - arms shaking, lungs burning. The wood starts to give and eventually snaps with a resounding crack, dirt falling in. Seungyoon holds his breath as he breaks the rest of it with his bare hands.

His husband lies there, eyes shut and pallid. Or rather someone, something otherworldly, wearing his husband’s face. Seungyoon gingerly reaches a hand in and touches his cheek, he is cold -  _ frighteningly cold. _ He’s not moving, not breathing, and neither is Seungyoon.

> _ This can’t be. It can’t. _

He hauls his husband up, his hand going over his face, his chest, his wrist - searching for any sign of life he can find. His husband’s head falls back, his body limp and lifeless, but Seungyoon doesn’t care - his husband promised him that he wouldn’t leave him and he always made sure to keep his word. He starts to shake him and call his name, hand touching the side of his husband’s cold face as he desperately tried to breathe life into him...but all of it yields nothing.

> _ His husband is gone. _

Seungyoon’s mind reels, his world tilting. His shaking fingers gently tuck his husband’s hair behind his ears, a movement of comfort and solace. He feels like a lost puppy, his once beautiful vibrant husband now a limp ragdoll in his arms. He buries his head into his husband’s shoulder, rocking him slightly, his tears blinding him.

  
  
  
  
  


_ “Can you hear me?” _ the voice was low, urgent.  _ “Please wake up.” _

_ “Seungyoon...please...” _ the voice didn’t give up,  _ “I need you to wake up.” _

Something hard landed against his chest and Seungyoon bolted up in bed, skin damp with sweat and gasping for breath. He felt uneasy, pulled-taut, chest heaving and not just from the lack of air.

_ “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...” _ Jinwoo began to mumble pressing the heel of his palm on Seungyoon’s chest and rubbing the spot gently. _ “You weren't waking up. I got desperate.” _

Seungyoon stared hard at his husband, as if he’s seeing him again for the first time after a very long time. His shaking fingers reached out and carded through Jinwoo’s hair pushing them out of his eyes.

  
  


> _ It was just a dream. _   
>    
> 
> 
> _ A nightmare. _   
>    
> 
> 
> _ None of it was real. _

  
  


Seungyoon swallowed, eyes hot,  _ relieved. _ Jinwoo felt warm and supple under his touch, nothing like the one in his dream with the cold waxy skin and the blue-hued lips. He places his hand on his husband’s nape and pulls him close, letting his head rest on his shoulder.

_ “Don't you ever go where I can't reach you.” _ Jinwoo stilled in his arms and fell silent.  _ “No matter what happens, you have to stay with me.” _

Seungyoon knew simply with the way Jinwoo breathed that he heard and understood. It’s seconds later after that when he felt him nodding against his shoulder, arms snaking around his waist. Several minutes of silence passed, neither of them saying a word, both knowing that even the slightest disturbance can break this tiny fragile moment between them.

_ “Promise me you won’t leave me.”  _ Seungyoon whispers, pressing his lips on his husband’s hair. He could feel himself drifting off but he pulled himself back awake again.  _ “I need to hear you say it.” _

Jinwoo untangled himself from him, just enough so that he can cup his face and look into his eyes.  _ “I’m not going anywhere, Seungyoonie. I’ll always be with you, I promise.” _

  
  
  
  
  


Letting himself drift off, flashes of his nightmare replayed in his head instantaneously making Seungyoon bolt up in bed for the second time that night. He tries to steady his breathing, raising his hands to check if there is dirt and blood on them. Seeing that they are clean, he unknots and lays on his back nearly crying in relief.

_ “Baby...”  _ he calls out, desperately needing to grab hold of any part of his husband that he can for reassurance.

_ “I’m right here.” _ Jinwoo responds quickly, offering his hand. Seungyoon latches on in a heartbeat, gripping his husband’s wrist tightly, and pulling him closer.

For a moment, all Seungyoon can smell is the scent of tea tree and lavender from his husband’s hair, it’s from this new shampoo he’s been using that was supposedly calming and would help him sleep.

Jinwoo keeps him anchored to reality, his warm gentle hand smoothing over the goose-flesh that have risen on Seungyoon’s skin.

_ “Seungyoonie...” _ he says, his free hand moving to Seungyoon’s cheek,  _ “It’s okay. I’m here. It’s only a dream.” _

  
  
  
  
  


The nightmare continued to repeat itself that night. Seungyoon would wake up in darkness gasping for breath only to be repeatedly comforted by Jinwoo’s hand already splayed on his chest. The images that he saw seemed so real and so convincing that he couldn’t get them out of his head. They’re about Jinwoo,  _ his husband, _ and it’s the reason why he finds it hard to just ignore them. It terrified him, realizing how he could lose the person he loves most, so quickly and so suddenly. Now too scared to sleep, Seungyoon forces himself to stay awake. Jinwoo doesn’t ask him anything and stays up with him despite his protests.

_ “I’m never going to leave you.” _ Jinwoo assures him in the dark, planting kiss after kiss - from his forehead, his temples, his lids, his nose, and finally his lips.  _ “I’m going to be with you until the day I die. I promise.” _

Seungyoon believes him. He always does because _ Jinwoo always keeps his word. _ He knows that he can trust without doubt, everything that comes out from between his sweet pink lips.

_ “I love you so much.”  _ Seungyoon tells him, rolling into Jinwoo’s embrace and letting himself be held,  _ “Don’t ever leave me. I wouldn’t be able to go on without you.” _

  
  
  
  
  


_ “I’m not sleeping until you do.”  _ Jinwoo says to him, brushing their noses together.

Seungyoon tries to control his racing heart, his lips brushing gently on Jinwoo’s cheek.  _ “I know already. I’m trying.” _

It’s moments like this when Seungyoon appreciates even more the beautiful contradiction his husband is - masculine and strong, fair skin, dark hair, with sparkling eyes and striking features. Deep down his Jinwoo is all fluff, he’s robust like the coffee one drinks in the morning, with a heart that’s ten sizes too big. There’s this undeniable yet simple perfection in him that Seungyoon couldn’t get enough of. Seungyoon had to bite his tongue to stop himself from getting vocally sappy over the overwhelming wonderful man he got to marry.

_ “Seungyoonie.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “Are you getting excited right now?” _

_ “No...” _ Seungyoon replies, half-hoping that Jinwoo would believe him.

_ “Really? Then why is your heart suddenly beating so fast under my hand?” _

_ “Hey!”  _ Seungyoon blurts out,  _ “That’s cheating!” _

Jinwoo started chuckling in the dark, it’s a sound Seungyoon has grown to not only love but also crave. It made him forget about what it was that he was terrified about.

 

 


	3. ADOPTION

[ **III** ]

  
  


A month swiftly passes filled with long night recording sessions and more house hunting. On top of it all was the _adoption_ process. They filed for it about a year ago and are now waiting for _‘the call’_. Seungyoon is relieved that they’re past the interviews they dreaded that sometimes fell on Monday mornings - the nights before each meeting had been particularly hard on both of them. They would spend it lying awake in bed for hours assuring each other that everything will be alright.

They decided on a newborn, its gender didn’t matter to them. They would gladly take and bestow all their love to any child offered to them. Seungyoon convinced Jinwoo to it, it was better than both of them going around visiting homes and facilities. Jinwoo is too soft-hearted for his own good and would always grow attached to the different children they got to meet there. He would want to bring them home and Seungyoon would always have to be the _‘bad guy’_ that would pull him aside and remind him that the children aren’t like stray cats that they can just take home as they please.

When Seungyoon woke up that morning in their cramped condo, his husband’s side of the bed was cold. He enters the kitchen and finds him by the sink, phone pressed to his ear, his coffee mug empty on the kitchen table. Highlighted strands of his hair caught the sun, he was wearing Seungyoon’s shirt - the one Seungyoon had on the night before.

 _“G’morning, baby.”_ Jinwoo mouths to him and smiles.

 _“You look amazing in my shirt.”_ Seungyoon remarks, lightly grabbing his husband’s bum as he passed him on his way to the fridge.

To this day Seungyoon isn’t exactly sure when Jinwoo had moved in with him, all he knows is that he sure as heck never ever wanted him to move out. Their fourth date comes to mind - he invited Jinwoo over who was curious about his unreleased music. They spent a good amount of time listening to them, Jinwoo’s eyes shining bright as he animatedly gushed about each one. Seeing him so excited and pleased about each one made Seungyoon feel proud, it made him feel like he was on top of the world.

They ordered Chinese food that night and neither of them had noticed that its delivery was running late. They talked about Jinwoo’s kittens as they ate, Jinwoo’s hometown, Jinwoo’s modeling career - time flew by and close to midnight they were both on the couch watching a movie that Jinwoo picked out. Seungyoon turned down the lights and microwaved some popcorn. He doesn’t know what the movie they watched was about, all he recalls is Jinwoo’s delicate features bathed in flashes of tv light and how terribly besotted by him he was. After-all, Seungyoon ended up watching Jinwoo that night instead of watching the movie.

He doesn’t recall how they got in _that_ position that night either, from supposedly watching a movie to having a steamy make-out session on the couch. It was the first time they kissed and neither of them wanted to stop. Everything Seungyoon thought he knew had disappeared in his mind the moment their mouths met. Jinwoo devoured his whole heart with his sweet persuasive lips. The movie played on and by the time the ending credits started rolling he had Jinwoo on his bed, and Jinwoo was letting him do unspeakable things to him that made his heart beat faster and faster.

It was natural how they fitted together. Under low lights and engulfed in Jinwoo’s tight heat, Seungyoon felt that he was and to this day still is - truly his _first and only true love_ . All other loves that came before him had become irrelevant. In the silence of the night, Seungyoon held the galaxy in his arms for the first time. He wrapped himself against him so tightly, his _I love you’s_ marking Jinwoo like ink, sinking deep into his skin and penetrating his core so that he would never mistake them as something temporary. It was on that night that Seungyoon sought out to become a permanent part of him.

Jinwoo never left his side since then, and Seungyoon was never just Seungyoon anymore - it all became **Seungyoon and Jinwoo** from that point on. Jinwoo took over half his closet and bought his kittens in. Seungyoon’s life turned upside down and he was never the same again. Jinwoo, who was once only a dream to him, has become the reality he gets to wake up to every morning.

They ate a lot of ice cream and went to almost every single music festival in the summer, driving with the windows down and making out in the backseat while the sun set before them. In the autumn they spent most of their time in the park, taking long walks while holding hands. Jinwoo grew an interest in cooking and was always excited to have Seungyoon try out his new dishes. They drank cheap wine in plastic cups and got drunk with each others lips as they kissed under the canopy of changing leaves. In the wintertime they watched the snow flurry around them, their cold red noses touching each time they purposely and giddily got under the mistletoe. They pulled each other close, kissing unhurriedly under it, relishing in the feel of each other’s lips and the corniness of it all. When springtime came around, they had gone full circle. They snuggled in bed with the cats on rainy days and when the weather finally got cooperative, Jinwoo took him back to his hometown to meet his family. It was mid-April, Jinwoo took him to see the blooming tulip fields in Imjado that day. Seungyoon felt happy being there with quite literally the person of his dreams right next to him, smiling and laughing.

 

> _“Jinwoo, let me love you for the rest of my life. Marry me.”_

Seungyoon thinks it was the longest wait he had to endure, Jinwoo had not responded and was only silently staring at the ring he was offering him. Next thing he knows they’re pressed so tightly together that not even a breeze could pass between them. Jinwoo wanted him close, so close that they can literally feel each other’s heart beating. Seungyoon didn’t need to hear him say anything after that, Jinwoo’s beating heart had already given him the answer - loudly, clearly, _immeasurably._

That night, Seungyoon penned his love for Jinwoo all over his skin with his lips. He made music for a living and he created an entirely new melody just for him. A melody for a love so profound that it can only be heard and understood by the two of them.

  
  
  
  


_“What did our lawyer say?”_

Jinwoo sighs in response, walking back to the kitchen table and sitting on Seungyoon’s waiting lap.

 _“They found someone.”_ Jinwoo bit into his bottom lip, voice going low, _“Someone who will give us their baby.”_

Seungyoon feels time stop, it’s taken them almost a year to get this far. Jinwoo’s eyes locked into his, a certain sadness in them.

 _“I thought I’d be really happy the moment we got ‘the call’ but right now I just feel horrible.”_ Jinwoo admits, _“I‘m literally going to take a newborn child from his young mother just so we can have a family.”_

 _“It’s ‘we’, Jinwoo. We’re doing this together.”_ Seungyoon reminds him, _“We aren’t taking her baby away. She’s giving her baby to us, willingly.”_

It’s like slow motion tranquility, Jinwoo’s eyes were warm and luminous in the sun as he nodded and held his gaze in understanding. Seungyoon hopes to grow old with him, hopes to see the same look in his eyes when they’re 70-something. Jinwoo’s eyes on him, that _he will never ever stop loving_.

 _“It’s really happening. We’re going to have a baby.”_ Jinwoo pressed even closer to him, _“You’re going to make a very good dad. I just know it.”_ his voice was gentle, _“I can’t wait for the day that I finally get to see you holding our baby.”_

Seungyoon felt his own smile starting to build in response. It was no longer just a dream they had. They we’re really doing this. _Starting a family._ He watched his husband’s face, getting the sudden urge to brush the hair away from his eyes. It hit him in the gut then, not for the first time since he met Jinwoo, how much he wanted this with him - _a family, a future._ He reaches for Jinwoo, his thumb gliding across his bottom lip as he leaned in, kissing him tentatively and chastely, fingers threading through his hair.

This right here. _This person._ **_Is Seungyoon’s world._ **

  
  
  
  


They literally had months to get ready for the newborn’s arrival. Jinwoo had been reluctant about meeting its birth mother and had asked their lawyer to keep their identities a secret, settling instead on sending her care packages and exchanging letters. One particular letter was sent to them by the birth mother that had them literally jumping for joy, it included a sonogram picture of their baby.

Jinwoo placed it in a frame and kept it by their bedside, oftentimes Seungyoon would hear him talking to it very late at night or very early in the morning and telling it all the wonderful plans he had in mind for their ‘soon-to-be’ family of three. Seungyoon would usually pretend to still be asleep, all the while smiling to himself while he listened in. Jinwoo wasn’t the only one though, he’d done the same more times than he can count. Unlike his husband, he’d choose moments when Jinwoo would busy himself with other things and is out of the bedroom. He told their baby about how they first met, where and how they got married, and all the tiny little things he loves about Jinwoo that Jinwoo doesn’t know about.

Soon after, their baby’s gender was finally disclosed to them. Seungyoon was at work, monitoring a recording for one of his songs that got picked out to be used for an upcoming drama. Jinwoo came to the studio unannounced, gorgeously disheveled and panting, still wearing one of their house-slippers.

 _“It’s a girl, Seungyoonie.”_ Jinwoo repeated to him over and over, _“We’re having a baby girl.”_

Taehyun who was there with them was the first to shed tears. He was the one who first took notice of Seungyoon’s interest in Jinwoo back then, he was also the one who made the reservations to the restaurant Seungyoon took Jinwoo to on their first date, and the first person Seungyoon sought advice from the moment he decided that he wanted to have Jinwoo permanently by his side.

 _“I’m so happy for both of you.”_ Taehyun choked out, holding back a sob.

A pocket of silence followed then Jinwoo reached an arm out and pulled Taehyun in. They were out in the hall, three grown-ass men crying their eyes out and holding on to each other.

They’ve only told select family members and very few close friends, wanting to keep the adoption process as private as possible. The media had already fussed over Jinwoo getting married to him, they didn’t need them to do the same with this one. One thing worked out for them though, they finally picked out a house.

Two bedrooms and two baths, _right in the heart of the city._ It was a ten minute drive away from Seungyoon’s workplace, was closeby a major shopping center, and it had a pool. It was perfect timing too since their condo was getting smaller. They planned on moving out after getting married but work had kept both of them busy.

The whole thing kept Jinwoo awake most nights. Seungyoon also noticed that he’s been taking too much aspirin. Knowing that his husband wasn’t going to stop simply by being told, Seungyoon takes drastic measures and empties the bottle, flushing all the pills down the toilet. Jinwoo doesn’t say anything when he notices the empty bottle in their medicine cabinet, he does snuggle closer to him later that evening and asks to be held.

  
  
  
  


Seungyoon came home a few nights later to find Jinwoo on his laptop watching a Japanese drama in the living room. He looks up once from the screen to welcome him home and tell him that he’s going to heat up their dinner. Seungyoon thanks him and heads to their bedroom to change. Once done, he returns to the living room. Jinwoo’s unattended laptop on the coffee table was showing a streaming website for dramas. Seungyoon sits on the couch and turns on the tv, just then - an email notification popped up on Jinwoo’s laptop screen that piqued his interest.

  
  
  
  


_“Did you even hear me?”_ Jinwoo sounded exasperated, coming from behind him, _“I was asking if you wanted...”_

His voice trails off when he catches sight of an email displayed on his laptop screen, Seungyoon was in front of it scrolling down and reading the whole exchange.

 _“How many times did you go and meet up with him?”_ Seungyoon’s voice had flattened out but Jinwoo can sense the simmering emotion behind it.

 _“Seungyoonie...”_ Jinwoo says slowly.

Seungyoon turned to look at him. _“How many times did you go and meet up with him?”_ he repeats, voice growing louder.

Jinwoo hesitates, his voice suddenly turning raspy, _“Once. Just once”_

 _“You told me you had work to do that day.”_ Seungyoon says softly, hurt spreading under his controlled facade.

 _“Only because you strongly disliked that house.”_ Jinwoo mumbled, almost too quiet for him to hear. _“I didn’t know how to tell you and I didn’t want to bother you.”_

_“So you decided to go off with that young realtor in the middle of nowhere without telling me?”_

There was another long pause and Jinwoo doesn’t look at him when he finally finds his voice. _“He just took me to see the house for a final time, Seungyoonie.”_

 _“He sure did.”_ Seungyoon’s face turned stormy, _“He even invited you to dinner and a movie. I’m not an idiot, Jinwoo.”_

 _“I rejected them all!”_ Jinwoo finally snapped. _“You read everything. You know that I didn't entertain any of his advances...”_

For a moment neither one of them moved or spoke.

 _“You could have just been honest with me.”_ Seungyoon looked at his husband, a little crestfallen. _“I would have taken you there myself.”_

 _“We would have just fought over it.”_ Jinwoo’s gaze falls to the floor, _“Besides, we already found another house to move into.”_

 _“Do you even like the house we're moving into?”_ Seungyoon finally asked, _“Or are you just going along with it because of me?”_

Jinwoo doesn’t answer him, instead he presses the power button on his laptop to force it to shut down.

 _“Jinwoo, listen to me...”_ a tightness formed in Seungyoon’s chest, _“...you don’t have to go along with everything I want.”_

_“It’s okay, Seungyoonie.”_

_“No, it’s not.”_ Seungyoon shook his head and grabbed his arm, _“I married you because I wanted to be with you, not so you can live under my shadow.”_

_“I want what you want.”_

Seungyoon tugged his arm and forced him to look at him, _“It’s okay to_ _not_ _want what I want.”_

There’s another moment of silence and Seungyoon watches Jinwoo struggle to keep his emotions in check, twisting his wedding band.

 _“Do you...”_ Seungyoon asks him, trepidation in his tone, _“...like that God-forsaken house that much?”_

Jinwoo doesn’t look at him when he nods.

Seungyoon lets go of his arm. He walks over to the front door, his car keys jingling in his hand.

  
  
  
  
  


It was around 2AM when Seungyoon got back to their condo that night. He pads to their bedroom and opens the door as quietly as he could. Jinwoo is lying in bed with his eyes closed but Seungyoon knew better than to assume that he was already sleeping. He moves closer and discards his shirt, climbing on the bed as quietly as he could.

 _“Baby, I’m sorry.”_ Seungyoon pulls in air, chest heaving. _“I was being immature.”_

There was no response from his bedmate. Seungyoon scoots closer placing a hand on Jinwoo’s waist.

 _“I’m an idiot.”_ His guilt prompts him to mumble, burying his nose in his husband’s hair, _“I shouldn’t have left you like that.”_

 _“You’re not the only one.”_ Jinwoo finally responds, his hand coming to rest over Seungyoon’s hand on his waist. _“I should have told you what was really on my mind instead of worrying about us fighting over it and doing something that hurt you.”_

Jinwoo proceeds to tell him about the house. He tells him about his first visit there, tells him about how he thought it was perfect for them. He talks about the day they visited the house together and how disappointed he was that Seungyoon couldn’t seem to envision the same thing he did for them. Behind him Seungyoon stays quiet and patient, even when Jinwoo mentions his trip to the house he dreaded with the young realtor that’s been sending him some flirtatious emails.

 _“I’m sorry.”_ Jinwoo finishes, gripping his hand tightly.

Seungyoon presses even closer, _spooning_ his husband. He tugs Jinwoo’s shirt, enough to reveal his shoulder and places a lingering open-mouthed kiss there. _Nothing sexual_ just something intimate between them. For comfort, for warmth, for reassurance.

_“Even when I’m fighting with you, you’re still the only person I want to go to sleep with and the only person I want to wake up to.”_

Jinwoo finally turned to face him, his face illuminated by the moonlight coming in from the window. He stared up at Seungyoon quietly and gently cupped his face. The simple gesture made Seungyoon’s chest constrict, he rests a hand on Jinwoo’s hipbone, caressing his exposed skin there.

 _“I love you even when I’m mad at you.”_ Jinwoo’s thumb brushes over his skin, slow and careful, making goosebumps rise along his skin.

 _“I know.”_ Seungyoon nods, _“And I love you even when you’re not being very lovable.”_

He captured Jinwoo’s lips gently after he said it, kissing him as slow as he possibly could. Jinwoo’s lips on him are as soft and sweet as they look and they yielded perfectly to his own. He kisses him a little harder and Jinwoo lets out a tiny sound that made Seungyoon even bolder. Jinwoo opens up to him nicely, shivering just slightly, his tongue curling against Seungyoon’s - so warm and wet that it made Seungyoon subtly rock his hips against him.

When they broke apart, they’re both breathing heavily. Seungyoon catches Jinwoo’s eye for a brief moment and then he’s leaning in again and kissing him - kissing him with all his got and then some. Sparks crackle through Seungyoon’s body as friction was added to the swelling heat between them. He finds Jinwoo’s hand and grasps them in his own, they both needed something to hold on to, and somewhere along the way - _it became each other._

 

 


	4. RESETTLE

 

**[IV]**

 

 

_They finally bought a house._

 

_Not the one in the city. The one far from it._

 

They quickly signed the papers and got the keys. Jinwoo was ecstatic over it and Seungyoon - _well, he’s just happy to see Jinwoo happy._ There’s still something about the house that didn’t sit right with him and days prior to their move-in date, Seungyoon laid awake in bed contemplating if they made the right choice. Jinwoo, on the other hand, hired some contractors and was working on some things around the house. Seungyoon had begged him to to take him along using his puppy eyes and his pout that he thought Jinwoo could never resist but all of it was for naught and he still found himself husband-less the last couple of weekends. The cats did keep him company and they stayed put when he grumbled about how much he missed his pretty husband.

 _“It’s my house too!”_ Seungyoon was making it certain that Jinwoo could hear his pout from the other end of the line.

 _“Seungyoonie, there are all sorts of exposed wires, nails, and stuff.”_ Jinwoo explains placidly, like he’s talking to a five year old. _“I can’t bring you here. You’re too precious.”_

 _“What’s that supposed to mean?”_ Seungyoon pouts even more, he hears Jinwoo start laughing.

 _“It means, I LOVE YOU.”_ Jinwoo’s voice dips lower, _“I love you so much and I just want you to stay put there and be safe.”_

Seungyoon grew quiet, it’s really not fair how his husband can be so suave right now and be so out of his reach.

_“Jinwoo...”_

_“What is it now?”_

_“I think I just fell in love with you even more.”_

Jinwoo started laughing again on his end, _“Really?”_

 _“Really.”_ Seungyoon affirms, “Baby, don’t come home too late. Let’s eat dinner together tonight and watch that drama you like.”

 _“I’d really like that.”_ Jinwoo paused, _“But you better not step into the kitchen and cook.”_

 

 

 

Not long after that, they started packing their things in the condo in boxes. The cats loved it and Seungyoon would often find himself pleasantly surprised to find them curled up inside. The smaller and more cramped the box is, the more they liked it. He would snap pictures with his phone and send them to Jinwoo who would instantly reply back with a dramatic animated _‘heart-eyes’_ sticker.

Packing away their things made Seungyoon a little sentimental. They had so many memories in this place and the idea of leaving it weighed heavily in his heart. Truthfully, he loved that their condo was getting smaller day by day - it meant always having his husband close and never having him out of his sight for too long. Seungyoon just couldn’t help but be greedy when it came to Jinwoo, he had that effect on him even from the start. He wouldn’t say he’s possessive as a lover but he admits to being _territorial_ \- **Jinwoo is his,** _he’s just protecting what belongs to him._

The night before they move-in to their new house, Jinwoo asks him if they can order some Chinese take-out. Seungyoon looks up from his notebook, preoccupied with some lyrics he was writing.

_“But I thought you wanted us to have dinner out?”_

Jinwoo smiled at him lightly. _“Here is fine, baby. It’s our last night.”_

The food they ordered arrived quickly. With their plates and utensils packed away, they ate in the take-out boxes using the wooden chopsticks that came along with it. The whole set-up reminded Seungyoon of the night Jinwoo first came over.

_“Did I kiss you first or did you kiss me first?”_

_“You wanted to kiss me since the first date.”_ Jinwoo tells him nonchalantly, like that’s the answer to it.

 _“Actually, I wanted to kiss you before I even got the courage to ask you out.”_ Seungyoon smirked as he picked up a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks, _“I tried on our second date but you rejected me.”_

 _“You tried to kiss me in a packed subway car! Also, I gave you a chance to kiss me on our third date.”_ Jinwoo huffs, stuffing his mouth with a dumpling, _“You didn’t even notice.”_

 _“Seriously?”_ Seungyoon blurts out, the shrimp on his chopstick falls back into the Chinese take-out box it came from. _“When? I don’t remember.”_

Jinwoo glared at him, _“When we were walking back to your car after we went to that cafe on the hillside, the bear-themed one, Krunk Cafe.”_

 _“Oh.”_ Seungyoon recalls it now. _“I thought you were just teasing me.”_

Jinwoo didn’t answer him, instead he picked up another dumpling with his chopsticks and aggressively chomped on it.

 _“So, I’m really curious.”_ Seungyoon surreptitiously glanced at his husband who was busy poking the dumplings with his chopsticks like they’ve offended him horribly, _“Was it you or was it me?”_

 _“I wanted it, you wanted it. It was dark. We met halfway.”_ Jinwoo suddenly turned beet red, his voice getting lower, _“I let you have more than a kiss that night. Did you forget...”_

 _There’s no way I would._ Seungyoon thought smugly to himself, _I definitely got more than a kiss from you that night._

 _“Jinwoo.”_ Seungyoon’s voice suddenly turned serious.

His husband stared at him, confusion painted on his too pretty face. Seungyoon leaned forward and took the last dumpling on the take-out box, chewing on it slowly and thoughtfully.

_“Thank you for marrying me.”_

 

 

 

Seungyoon pressed his face against the glass window as their SUV got closer to the house. _“Is that...”_

 _“It’s our house, Seungyoonie.”_ Jinwoo’s tone was complacent as he drove. _“Looks great, don’t you think?”_

Seungyoon nods slowly, still trying to process it. On the backseat the cats slept on in their carriers. The house looked like it was going to collapse on itself the first and last time he visited it, now as they got closer to it, it looked like it got a breath of new life. The ivy threatening to overtake it is gone, its cracked weather beaten exterior was now painted a pale powder blue that matched the early morning sky behind it.

 _“Wow.”_ Was all Seungyoon could say when they finally pulled up in front of it, remembering how horrendous the whole structure had looked to him before.

 _“You promised not to run around.”_ Jinwoo says firmly from behind him, _“Stay in the kitchen like I told you, eat the food I packed for you, and don’t go upstairs.”_

The moving truck pulled up behind them just then, Jinwoo’s attention shifts - going from _pretty-gentle husband_ to _pretty-commander-in-chief_ , the _‘pretty’_ part stays because his husband is always pretty in whatever he does.

Walking up to the porch was a joy, Seungyoon no longer felt threatened now that the rotting floorboards had been replaced with new ones that felt and sounded solid under their feet. The front door had been replaced as well and Jinwoo smiles at him winningly when he successfully unlocks it on his first try.

The smell of fresh paint permeated in the air, the ostentatious wallpaper is all gone and the walls are now painted a very light appealing shade of grey. The recently installed hardwood flooring gleams under his feet, Seungyoon stared at a particular spot under the stairs where he recalled there was some terrible scuffing, there wasn’t any there now or anywhere else for that matter. He stayed in the kitchen at first, just like he promised Jinwoo - but he grew bored of it quickly and not even 10 minutes later he’s helping the movers unload some of their boxes from the truck.

 

 

  

It was while Seungyoon was stacking a box marked KITCHEN on top of another box that he heard another vehicle pull up in their driveway, it was followed by the sound of a car door slamming close.

_“Pretty one, where are ye?”_

Seungyoon peers out from one of the living room windows, catching sight of a rugged looking male with bulging biceps. He didn’t come alone, a few other guys were with him - all of them just as well-built as he is.

He hears Jinwoo race down the stairs and by the time Seungyoon stepped out to the front door to follow after him, Jinwoo was already being engulfed into a tight hug by ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’.

 _“We told ye we’d come by and help out.”_ ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ said, finally letting go of his husband, _“Now where’s that mister of yers? Yer Seungyoonie.”_

Maybe it was better not to have said anything at all, Seungyoon thinks. ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ had lifted him off the ground right after he introduced himself and was now hugging him a bit too tight for his liking.

With them around, everything from that point on moved quickly - _must be the biceps._ It was like watching a video on fast-forward and soon the floor was covered in their furniture and boxes. Jinwoo had done a great job at organizing their things when they were packing them away at their condo and it didn’t take long for him to instruct them to place their furniture and assortment of boxes exactly where he wanted them.

When Seungyoon looked out through one of the windows to check on the moving truck, he was surprised to find it gone.

_“Why ye lookin’ so surprised, boy?”_

_“The moving truck. It’s gone.”_

‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ laughs gruffly.

 _“Yer pretty mister already sent them off. See here, boy.”_ he points at the boxes before them, _“Me guys got everything unloaded in no time.”_

Seungyoon eyes the boxes waiting to be unpacked. Quite honestly, had ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ and his all-bicep-crew not come around he didn’t know how long they’d be out there still moving things around.

_“Thanks for the help, we really needed it.”_

_“Anytime.”_ ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ winked, _“Eh told that pretty mister of yers E’d come running with me guys if he needed anything.”_

_“Out of curiosity, how do you know my husband?”_

_“He helped me daughter four years ago.”_ he answered, gaze moving up to the ceiling. _“She wes a struggling yeng thing, couldn’t hold down eh job and the bills kept a-coming.”_

Seungyoon chewed his lip thoughtfully as he listened.

_“Me girl, she wasen’t happy anymore, almost took her life...but that pretty mister of yers had come a-running and set everything al-right.”_

_“This is my first time hearing about it.”_ Seungyoon said, _“He didn’t tell me.”_

 _“E’m not the only one, boy.”_ ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ clapped his back. _“There’s a-plenty of us.”_

He starts laughing gruffly again and Seungyoon joins him this time.

 

 

 

They ended up finishing earlier than expected and close to noontime ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ and his all-bicep-crew sped away on their truck, honking until they’re out of sight. Walking back into the house, Seungyoon follows after his husband who heads straight to the kitchen where he already started unpacking. Seungyoon sits on the kitchen table with his half-eaten sandwich watching Jinwoo move around here and there, confusion on his face. Minutes later Jinwoo joins him, stealing his sandwich off his plate and taking a bite.

_“I have more sandwiches in the fridge. I labeled them so eat them when you get hungry.”_

_“Baby, just how many sandwiches did you make?”_

Seungyoon had noticed that his husband had sent away everyone with packed sandwiches like some sort of _‘sandwich dispensing’_ machine. He’d been curious about it since earlier and he was now on his fourth sandwich. Not a surprise because admittedly, his gorgeous husband made ridiculously good sandwiches.

 _“I don’t remember.”_ Jinwoo shrugged, _“I couldn’t sleep last night so I just kept making them.”_

 _“I didn’t know you helped out ‘Mister Bulging Biceps’ daughter.”_ Seungyoon leaned forward and Jinwoo let him have a bite of the sandwich, _“You didn’t tell me.”_

 _“I didn’t really do anything.”_ Jinwoo reached forward, wiping away a smudge of mayo on Seungyoon’s chin with his finger, _“I just found his daughter a job. It was all her. She worked hard and was diligent, she just needed a chance.”_

 _“But wait...”_ Jinwoo suddenly snorted, _“Did you just...call him Mister Bulging Biceps?”_

 _“Yeah.”_ Seungyoon grinned back at him, _“I lost my chance to ask for his name so it stuck. I mean...did you see his arms?”_

Jinwoo was full-on laughing now. _“I’ve been calling him Popeye!”_

 

 

 

_“Baby, I’m sooooo hungry.”_

The kitchen curtains moved gently with the breeze, Seungyoon watches his pretty husband busy himself with sorting out their plateware on the counter. A part of him was surprised and another was impressed, he didn’t even know they had that many plates.

 _“Eat a sandwich.”_ Jinwoo tells him nonchalantly, not bothering to even look his way, _“There’s more in the fridge.”_

 _“But I’ve been eating nothing but sandwiches all day.”_ Seungyoon whined cutely, moving behind his pretty husband and snaking his arms around his waist. _“I want to eat something else now.”_

 _“Want to go get some groceries?”_ Jinwoo turned for a brief moment to look at him, _“Get eggs and I’ll make you an omelette for breakfast tomorrow. Ham too and soymilk. The vanilla flavoured one you like.”_

Seungyoon cleared his throat, his pretty husband didn’t seem to be picking up on his advances. Not that he was trying very hard but seeing that he wasn’t getting anything out of being subtle, it was time to change his tactics and be a little more forward.

 _“An omelette sounds nice.”_ Seungyoon whispered, pressing his lips against a sensitive spot on his husband’s neck, _“But there’s something I like so much more than your ‘omelette’ that I really want to eat right now.”_ He pulls Jinwoo closer, rolling his hips slowly and suggestively against his backside hoping that he gets the hint.

 _“Seungyoonie...be careful, the plates.”_ Jinwoo mumbled softly. Seungyoon ignores him, trailing his lips against his husband’s warm skin. Moving his hand up Jinwoo’s sides, he takes some of his shirt with them. Jinwoo’s breathing hitches when Seungyoon’s hand finally grazes his bare stomach.

_“Baby, why do we have so many plates?”_

His hand moved down and Jinwoo eyes fluttered close, biting into his bottom lip when Seungyoon finds the button of his jeans and starts undoing it. Seungyoon grinds against him from behind, pushing him even more towards the counter. Jinwoo tries to steady himself not wanting to break any of their plates that are lined up on one side.

_“There’s only the two of us here. We don’t need that many plates.”_

Seungyoon’s hand rose to Jinwoo’s chest, his fingers slowly trailing down to his husband’s exposed navel where they stopped.

 _“Seungyoonie...”_ Jinwoo’s eyes opened, he takes a deep breath his hand landing on top of Seungyoon’s that was resting on his navel. _“Your hand...”_

 _“What about my hand, baby?”_ Seungyoon teases, pulling the neckline of his husband’s shirt lower and exposing more of his skin. He lightly bites down on the pulse point in Jinwoo’s neck, his tongue sliding between his plump lips to smooth over the sting.

 _“I...”_ Jinwoo swallows, Seungyoon’s fingers started moving again, stopping when he reaches Jinwoo’s chin. _His husband i_ _s really cute when he hesitates._

 _“What is it, baby? What do you want me to do?”_ Seungyoon tilts Jinwoo’s head back, pressing his mouth on the hollow of his throat, nipping his husband there until he gasps for breath.

Seungyoon takes advantage of Jinwoo’s open mouth then, his soft lips fitted divinely with his, their tongues sliding together and curling around each other perfectly - hot, wet, and sweet. He bites down on Jinwoo’s bottom lip, getting a beautiful moan out of him that had him rolling his hips. Seungyoon does it slowly, letting Jinwoo feel just how much he desired him at that moment.

They broke apart eventually, breathing heavily through parted lips. Jinwoo turns to face him - skin flushed, lips kiss swollen - _all Seungyoon’s doing._ He brings their hips together and Jinwoo moans softly, he seals his lips over his, swallowing the beautiful noise. He refuses to let Jinwoo’s lips go, refuses to stop kissing him for even a second - their kisses have gotten rougher and wetter and Jinwoo’s lips are getting all sleek and shiny and it’s such a lovely sight.

Jinwoo moans again when Seungyoon grinds against him, pressing down on him relentlessly and with no mercy. There’s no room for him to move and the only thing he can hold onto is Seungyoon. The way Jinwoo gasped his name is so beautiful, so deliciously needy, it was all the encouragement Seungyoon needed.

 _“Upstairs, Seungyoonie. Take me upstairs.”_ Jinwoo was shaking now, _“Bed, please.”_

He’s missing his shirt and it won’t be long until the rest of his clothes go missing as well. Seungyoon had been quite ruthless with his mouth. He’s gone over Jinwoo’s skin with his lips leaving him looking like a very well marked map. Seungyoon smirks in approval, lips skimming over Jinwoo’s rib cage.

 _“I’m not done with you yet.”_ he captures his pretty husband’s lips, kissing him lazily, _“I’m going to be rough on you in so many sweet sinful ways.”_

 

 

 

Jinwoo’s knees had gone wobbly and Seungyoon smugly carries him upstairs, kicking their bedroom door open. Pale sunlight filtered in through the window that was facing the front yard, Seungyoon grew quiet as he took it all in. There was a bed with a metal frame on one side of the room, a large patch of sunlight on it. A bookcase was across it, next to the window - Seungyoon immediately takes notice of the recently built window-seat under it.

_He had always wanted a window-seat!_

On rainy days the two of them can quietly sit there racing raindrops with their fingers pressed against the glass. On cold wintry days the two of them can quietly snuggle under a blanket sipping hot cocoa as they watched the snow gently rest on the ground.

He could see it now, see himself and Jinwoo in that room, on that very bed - _sleeping on it, making love on it, waking up on it._ It was a place of their own, illuminated by soft warm sunlight that Seungyoon had always dreamed of waking in.

 _“I built it myself.”_ he heard Jinwoo say softly. _“Welcome home, Seungyoonie...”_

Standing there with his husband in his arms, Seungyoon felt a warm stirring. _“You remembered.”_

 _“There’s no way I’d forget.”_ He looked at Jinwoo’s face to find him smiling gently. _“I know everything about you - the man I love, the man I married.”_

 

 

_“Baby, are we going to be okay?”_ Seungyoon asked his husband, vaguely nervous, _“You think this old bed can hold us?”_

 _“I fixed it myself.”_ Jinwoo grinned from under him, eyes alight with mischief. _“We should be okay...if you're not too rough on me.”_

 

 

As slowly as he can manage, Seungyoon pushed inside Jinwoo - stopping repeatedly and only going further when his husband pushed back against him. Seungyoon took his time, fighting the need to bury himself deep into his husband’s tight heat. For now he just wanted to be certain that he didn’t hurt Jinwoo in any way. With every inch he managed, Seungyoon’s resolve got weaker and by the time Jinwoo had taken in all of him, sweat had beaded on his forehead. He wraps his arms around his husband, holding him tightly against his chest, breathing him in deeply, and remaining completely still.

This part of their coupling had always been something that Seungyoon cherished. That quiet moment when his heart throbs to match the beat of Jinwoo’s heart. Under him, Jinwoo’s eyes darken further, he can feel his hot breath skating along his lip as he silently watched him. No longer able to deny himself of the beautiful creature underneath him, Seungyoon leans down and claims him.

The bed frame creaked and groaned with every tiny ministration, Jinwoo’s hands would be clutching the pillows one moment then moving back to touch Seungyoon wherever he can reach him. It was sweet torture, how Jinwoo would beg him to go faster, go deeper, his pretty hands sliding down Seungyoon’s sides. Moving together, Jinwoo pushed back as much as he could each time Seungyoon thrust inside him. It all felt so perfect, so arousing, that Seungyoon would have been happy to stay there with Jinwoo all afternoon and all night, making love until neither one of them can move.

Seungyoon couldn’t keep his eyes off him - his almost celestial husband was beautifully coming undone in his arms. Seungyoon holds him in place and kisses him like he’s the oxygen he breathes. Jinwoo’s legs are around his waist keeping him right where he needed him and Seungyoon made certain to have Jinwoo screaming his name each time he pounded on the sacred spot inside him.

Soon he was losing control, both of them were. Every thrust he made had Jinwoo sliding over the sheets, each one growing harder and rougher. Jinwoo’s eyes were heavy-lidded from arousal, his pretty lips slightly parted as he struggled to breath and speak at the same time.

_“Seungyoonie…”_

He wanted to say something more but Seungyoon had already cut him off with a kiss so soft and tender that it made the connection between them even deeper. A loud moan escaped him as he felt Jinwoo tighten around him, a sign that Jinwoo wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.

 _“I love you too, baby.”_ Seungyoon whispers to him, gazing at his husband’s beauteous face as he nips and kisses his lips and his jaw. Any part of Jinwoo would do, he was all Seungyoon needed.

 

 

 

It was already dark when Seungyoon woke up, he laid in bed in a groggy haze wondering about what it was that had pulled him awake in the first place. As he lay there in the dark wondering, the feeling of being watched suddenly came over him.

Hearing a light creak, Seungyoon sat up in bed. Under the pale moonlight shining through the bay window, he notices that the bedroom door is ajar and Jinwoo is not in bed with him like he should be. His brows furrowed, wondering where his husband might have gone Seungyoon’s eyes searched the dark.

 _What time is it?_ He wondered. _Where did I put my watch? My phone?_

Seungyoon heard another creak, just outside their bedroom door. He eases himself off the bed, wincing when cold air hits his bare skin. _Why is it suddenly so cold in here?_

He was just about to call for his husband when he heard footsteps from outside their bedroom door. He turned towards it, feeling his pulse quicken.

_“Baby, is that you?”_

The whole house is still and silent, and cold. Ridiculously cold. Seungyoon wraps the blanket around his naked form. The shadows of the furniture in the bedroom suddenly looked long and seemed sinister. Seungyoon’s throat goes sandpaper dry when he hears the footsteps again.

Seungyoon swallowed, he knows it for sure now. He knows Jinwoo’s tread when he walks and this didn’t sound anything like him at all. The footsteps are light, as if made by someone who wants to remain undetected.

He takes a breath. He needs to move. _He needs to find Jinwoo._

 _He takes a step,_ clouds silently pass over the moon behind him.

Ever so slowly and quietly, Seungyoon leaves the bedroom.

 

 

Seungyoon lets out a silent breath, it strangely mists before him as his hand hovers over the lightswitch on the wall. He vaguely knows where it is - by the second bedroom door just right across the stairs, hiding in the dark. He can _almost_ see it, but most importantly, **he can feel it.**

_It was watching him. **Waiting.**_

Something moved out of the corner of his eye, his heart dropping down to his stomach when he sees his husband come out of that very door just now, unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows.

 

 

Confusion flits across Jinwoo’s face as he stares back at him.

 _“Seungyoonie...”_ he says slowly, _“What’s wrong?”_

Behind him, _something_ hiding in the shadows stirred.

 _“Baby, don’t move.”_ Seungyoon tells him, desperate. _“Just stay where you are. Where I can see you.”_

Jinwoo took a step, _“What’s going on?”_

 _“I told you not to move!”_ Seungyoon snapped. Jinwoo froze in his place, eyes going wide in surprise.

That’s when Seungyoon saw it. _Someone_ is standing just right behind his husband. His breathing goes shallow, tension gripping his chest like a vice. The house creaks just as a menacing _shadowy hand_ emerged from the dark.

 

 

Seungyoon feels like he’s choking, his arms shake around Jinwoo as he tries to take in air. His grip on Jinwoo tightened, there was no way that he was going to let that thing, whatever it was, touch even a hair on his husband.

_“Baby, it hurts.”_

Seungyoon ignores him, he can’t let him go just yet. He glares at the dark, aware that whatever was in there moments ago hasn’t gone anywhere.

 _“Don’t you dare touch him.”_ he hisses at it, _“He’s mine.”_

 

 

 

_“There’s nothing there, Seungyoonie.”_

Seungyoon can see that for himself. With all the lights turned on, everything was as it was supposed to be - normal, _unassuming,_ innocent. He walks over to the wall and runs his hands over it, there has to be something there, anything. But the wall before him proves to be just a wall and no push or touch had made it anything but a wall. Seungyoon’s knees go weak, he knows what he saw, he knows he didn’t just dream it up.

 _“Baby, let’s go back to bed.”_ Jinwoo suggests from behind him, worry in his tone, _“We’re both tired and stressed from the move so let’s just sleep, okay?”_

 

 

 

Lying back in bed, Seungyoon silently watches his husband. The soft glow of their lamp on the bedside illuminated his features as he sat up in bed reading one of his numerous baby books.

 _“Sleep.”_ Jinwoo says, and Seungyoon only blinks at him in response.

He glances briefly at their bedroom door, it was closed and locked. He made certain of it himself and checked it four times.

 _“Let’s do something nice tomorrow. There’s this coffee shop in town that I think you’d like.”_ Jinwoo seemed to have noticed his unease, his fingers moved down from the pages of the book he was reading to Seungyoon’s unruly hair. _“You can order your favorite vanilla latte there then we can share a really big order of milk bingsu! How’s that sound?”_

 _“Jinwoo...”_ Seungyoon says to him quietly, _“...can you let me hold you for a bit?”_

Jinwoo’s fingers on his hair stopped moving, _“I know you're tired. We don’t have to do anything. I just...I need you closer.”_

He didn’t have to say anymore, Jinwoo was already moving to lie back down in bed and snuggling up to him. The baby book he was reading fell to the floor with a dull thud.

 _“I get you. Perfectly.”_ Jinwoo gently smiles at him, _“I'm yours so please hold me as much as you’d like.”_

 

 


	5. SCURRY

 

**[V]**

 

 

There’s something in the house with them. _Seungyoon can sense it._

 

He makes no mention of it to his husband who seemed to have adapted well to the house and grew to love it even more. Nothing out of the extraordinary had happened since that night but there’s just this feeling that never seems to leave him. Seungyoon feels unseen eyes watching his every move, its presence lingering in every room of the house he is in.

 

It made him feel reluctant to leave Jinwoo’s side or have him out of sight. Which is exactly why he's watching him do some gardening on their front yard from one of their living room windows while Taehyun is screaming at him from his phone that he was holding an arms length away.

 

_“Seungyoon-hyung, if you don’t come to work by next week I’m going to call Jinwoo-hyung and talk to him!!”_

 

_“Look at you, threatening your poor hyung like this...”_

 

 _“That’s not gonna work on me anymore!”_ Taehyun cut him off, indignant. _“That new boy group debuting early next year has picked out one of your songs. You better get your ass here and do your work!”_

 

Seungyoon smiles and waves at Jinwoo, he wanted to finish up with the call already and run back to his husband’s side.

 

_“Can’t you write a song for them instead?”_

 

There was a pause and then he heard Taehyun huff from his end, _“I’m calling Jinwoo-hyung! I’m calling him right now!”_

 

 

 

 

_“You haven’t touched your guitar even once since we moved in. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”_

 

Seungyoon nervously rubs the hem of his shirt from under the kitchen table. He drops his gaze to his knees, at the gaping hole in his jeans, sensing Jinwoo’s eyes on him.

 

_“Remember when I told you that I wanted to take a break from modeling for a while?”_

 

The sound of the kettle whistling interrupted his husband. Seungyoon shifts quietly in his seat wondering where this conversation is going. He’d been watching Jinwoo’s face while he talked to Taehyun on the phone earlier and he didn’t seem angry at him or upset which left Seungyoon feeling perplexed because he had been certain the whole time that Jinwoo would be, to the point that he already readied himself for the scolding that he surmised would definitely follow.

 

_“I think it’s about time I go back.”_

 

There was a moment of silence, the cats entered the kitchen and padded towards their food bowl.

 

 _“Wait. What did you just say?”_ Seungyoon asks after being quiet for so long. Finally looking up, his gaze lands on his husband’s back.

 

_“I’m thinking about going back to work.”_

 

Jinwoo shut off the stove and turned to face him. Behind him, the pot of soup he was cooking next to the kettle continued to simmer.

 

_“There are a lot of new faces in the industry. I shouldn’t be sitting around like this calmly. I’m not getting any younger.”_

 

 _“This all feels so sudden…”_ Seungyoon tells him slowly, absentmindedly picking at the hole in his jeans, _“Our baby’s due date is approaching. I thought you said you wanted us to care for her first hand...”_

 

 _“The entertainment industry isn’t kind. We both know it.”_ Jinwoo responds, cutting him off, _“It’s better that I keep working while my face is still of value to them.”_

 

Seungyoon goes quiet again, he notices Jinwoo start fiddling with his wedding band. The way he was acting and the things he was saying wasn’t making much sense. It didn’t seem like him at all. He knew his husband best, Jinwoo was neither vain or disparaging.

 

_“Since I’m considering working again, why don’t you think about taking a little break from your work?”_

 

Seungyoon blinks rapidly, wondering if he heard him right.

 

 _“I’m worried about you, Seungyoonie.”_ Jinwoo’s tone turned somber, _“I know you haven’t been sleeping. I know that you stay up at night watching me.”_

 

 _“We already talked about this, Jinwoo.”_ Seungyoon watches his husband’s fingers, still twisting his ring, _“You don’t have to go back to work. I promised you that I’ll take care of everything. Let me keep it.”_

 

 _“Promises are made to be broken.”_ Seungyoon’s mouth twitches at the corners, he couldn’t believe he just heard his husband say that, _“I don’t care if you break this one, I only care about you.”_

 

 _“Because you can’t trust me! That’s what this is about.”_ Seungyoon’s voice finally rises, angry. _“I can tell when you look at me. You think something’s wrong with me...”_

 

_“Seungyoonie...”_

 

 _“I know what I saw that night!”_ he argued, _“It was there. Waiting.”_

 

Jinwoo sighed then stayed silent.

 

 _“I woke up and you were gone. There were footsteps...”_ Jinwoo turned his head to look at him, _“I knew it wasn’t you but I didn’t know where you were, all I knew was that I had to find you no matter what.”_

 

_“Baby, stop. Don’t say anymore...”_

 

 _“When I finally saw you, it was standing there right behind you.”_ Seungyoon took a deep breath, _“It was going to take you away from me. I couldn’t let that happen...”_

 

 _“Stop. Please stop.”_ Jinwoo said, wrapping his arms around him. _“There is nothing, no one, who can take me away from you.”_

 

 _“I saw it that night.”_ Seungyoon says, feeling utterly defeated. _“It tried to take you away from me, Jinwoo.”_

 

 _“Whatever or whoever it was won’t be able to take me away from you!”_ Jinwoo’s expression softened, he softly pressed his lips against Seungyoon’s, _“I won’t let it. I’ll always be...only yours.”_

 

 

 

 

Seungyoon had gone back to work. Well, Jinwoo _forced_ him back to work. It's been three days now, he could barely wait for the weekend to come so that he can stay home and stick to his husband again. Jinwoo decided to keep busy with getting the second bedroom ready for their newborn’s arrival, that and picking out a name. He already called Seungyoon exactly 11 times today just to run a few names by him and the day isn't even close to being over yet.

 

 _“Seungyoonie, how does ‘Yu-Hwa’ sound?”_ Seungyoon heard a crash in the background followed by a high-pitched meow just as his husband said it.

 

 _“We can use the hanja for Yu that means ‘soft and gentle’ then for Hwa we can go with the hanja for ‘blossoms’ or ‘harmony’. I think it will be really cute!”_ Jinwoo sounded out of breath, _“Our baby’s name will literally translate to ‘soft and gentle blossoms’. Don’t you think it’s nice?”_

 

_“It’s really cute but I think I still like ‘Areum’ better. It sounds refined.”_

 

Seungyoon felt a light tap on his shoulder, under his fingers Taehyun slides a music sheet with a name written on top of it.

 

 _“Taehyun is making a suggestion.”_ Seungyoon tells Jinwoo, there was another crash, it was followed by more meows than last time.

 

 _“Baby, what are you doing?”_ Seungyoon finally asked, _“What’s going on?”_

 

 _“I’m moving some things around the nursery.”_ Jinwoo exhales, _“But our cats won’t let me!”_

 

Seungyoon smiled, _“Baby, you’re so adorable.”_ he lowered his voice and turned to his side, _“You’re making me want to come home to you even faster.”_

 

 _“That’s good. You’re a married man.”_ Jinwoo’s tone changed, something a little high-pitched, something cutesy. _“You have such a sweet pretty husband waiting for you at home. What more can you possibly ask for?”_

 

 _“I swear to God, I’m going to end up killing both of you.”_ Taehyun scrunched his face. _“You’re not newlyweds anymore...”_

 

 _“Taehyun-ah is so jealous of us right now, baby.”_ Seungyoon tells Jinwoo who only laughs on his end.

 

 _“As if.”_ Taehyun made another face. _“I’d rather die than say all that cheesy gross stuff you two tell each other.”_

 

 _“Says the person who started crying during his toast on our wedding reception.”_ Seungyoon elbowed him lightly.

 

 _“It wasn’t just me!”_ Taehyun protested, _“Mino-hyung and Seunghoon-hyung did too!”_

 

 _“So, what name did Taehyunnie come up with for our baby?”_ Jinwoo’s voice comes through, a bit louder this time.

 

Seungyoon takes a peek at the music sheet Taehyun was nudging even more towards him now and reads it, _“Alexandria”._

 

There was a long meow then another crash. Seungyoon heard Jinwoo huff, then he heard him trying to shoo away their cats.

 

_“Seungyoonie, tell Taehyunnie to name his own daughter that in the future.”_

 

 

 

 

The smell of fresh paint quickly faded, Seungyoon immediately takes notice of the light floral scent that made a grand return and seemed to hang around the house. The tree in their backyard is still in full bloom and as of late, its unique notched petals have surreptitiously managed to find their way inside the house.

 

_“How long will you be gone?”_

 

Seungyoon watches the white petal that was caught on his husband’s hair tumble down to his shoulder.

 

 _“Three days and two nights.”_ Seungyoon’s eyes remained on it, wondering where it would go next. _“I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”_

 

Jinwoo sat up straighter on his seat and the persistent petal remained where it was, _“Idiot! Of course you have to go. Who knows when you’ll get this kind of offer again...”_

 

_“I don’t really care. I’d much rather stay here with you than go anywhere.”_

 

Jinwoo sighed. Seungyoon watched the petal on his shoulder take another tumble, it still managed to hang on slipping only a couple centimeters down towards his husband’s arm.

 

 _“Seungyoonie, I’m going to be just fine here on my own.”_ Jinwoo reached for his hand, _“We’ve been here for a while and everything’s been going well so far. Stop worrying over nothing and just focus on your work and getting that contract.”_

 

 _“Jinwoo, this place is different.”_ Seungyoon took a deep breath, _“If something happens to you while I’m gone...”_

 

Jinwoo squeezed his hand, stopping him before he can go further. _“Nothing will happen, Seungyoonie. It’s just all in your head.”_

 

Seungyoon lets the subject drop despite having many objections. They’ve lived in this place for a while now and it still doesn't feel the least bit like home to him. He no longer brings up what happened that night and because it made Jinwoo feel relieved to think of the whole incident as something Seungyoon dreamed up - he’s been going along with it.

 

What happened that night really happened, Seungyoon was sure of it. And whatever it was that was in the house with them that night has stayed quiet but _never_ left.

 

 

 

 

On his first night away from their house, Seungyoon spends most of the night alternating between staring at the dark ceiling of his Hong Kong hotel room and the bright LED clock on the bedside, the television hums quietly in the background. Seungyoon reaches for his phone and contemplates about calling his husband. He was just on the phone with him two hours ago and now Seungyoon is itching to hear his voice again - but it’s 1:40 in the morning where Jinwoo is and Seungyoon would really hate to wake him up. He seemed fine on the phone, lively, and Seungyoon felt a tiny bit dejected that Jinwoo didn’t seem to be missing him as much as he hoped.

 

What transpired between them that morning replays in his mind - Jinwoo kissed him for a long time, his arm wrapped tightly around his body. Seungyoon didn’t want to pull away from him, wanting to keep the taste and feel of Jinwoo’s lips on his own.

 

 

> _“Seungyoonie, do you think we can still...you know...before your coordinator picks you up?”_
> 
>   
>  Seungyoon glanced at his watch, then leaned over to kiss the dimple on his pretty husband’s cheek lightly, _“I can manage that.”_ he told him, grinning.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Jinwoo is stroking him and Seungyoon reacts in all the usual ways, from the tremor in his thighs to the way he bites at his lips to quiet the sounds Jinwoo seemed to be so intent on getting out of him. His pretty husband would pause, his eyes alight with mischief, his sweet looking lips hovering so wickedly close to Seungyoon’s then pulling back each time he leans in and not giving him a taste. It was starting to drive him a little mad, the way Jinwoo was doing this to him - pushing every goddamn button he knows he has.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> There’s a beat of silence. They lock gazes and Jinwoo does that tiny little nod of his that Seungyoon knew all too well. Their hands fall on familiar places - where it is good, where they are needed. They know each other’s bodies so well by now that it doesn’t take long - Seungyoon takes all the steps to turn his husband into putty and Jinwoo all knowingly lets him, reciprocating in ways that only made Seungyoon want him even more.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _“I’ll be back soon.”_ Seungyoon murmured to him, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he eyed the fresh love-bites he left on the side of his husband’s neck as a reminder. _“Love you.”_
> 
>  
> 
> _“I love you too.”_ Jinwoo replied, still not letting go off his hand even though the coordinator had been honking at them for the last three minutes, _“So much.”_

 

 

 

 

He stares at Jinwoo’s number on his phone, eyes growing heavy but never really closing. Just enough for him to imagine that he had Jinwoo there with him tonight.

 

 _“Baby…”_ he calls for him in the dark, _“Are you doing okay there by yourself? Are you sleeping well without me tonight?”_

 

He grinned bitterly, he just really missed Jinwoo so bad right now.

 

 

 

 _“I’m sorry for calling you this late.”_ Seungyoon inhaled slowly and deeply when he heard his husband’s voice on the other end of the line, _“I just wanted to hear your voice.”_

 

 _“Everything okay?”_ Seungyoon asked, a part of him was delighted that Jinwoo called him while another was worried. _He hated it, Jinwoo all alone in that house._

 

 _“Everything is okay, baby. I’m okay.”_ Jinwoo replied. _“I just really miss you right now.”_

 

Seungyoon smiled tentatively.

 

 _“It’s been so long since I last slept on my own.”_ Jinwoo continued, _“It seems that I forgot how to sleep without you here with me.”_

 

 _“You've always had trouble sleeping, baby.”_ Seungyoon sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. _“Before you met me it was even worst. You told me.”_

 

 _“It was.”_ Jinwoo replied, _“Somehow, I sleep better when you’re around.”_

 

 _“Maybe it’s because I let you hog all the blankets.”_ Seungyoon teased, _“Or maybe because you got used to me holding you to sleep every single night.”_

 

 _“Must be.”_ Jinwoo says quietly on his end, _“Seungyoonie, can you stay with me on the phone until I fall asleep?”_

 

 _“Of course.”_ Seungyoon answered, _“I feel apologetic that I can't be there with you right now. My arms have gotten so spoilt with holding you and now they feel lonely and cold without you in them.”_

 

 _“We're sounding so sappy again.”_ Seungyoon can tell that Jinwoo was smiling on his end, _“Taehyunnie would be cringing at us right now if he can hear us.”_

 

_“Is there anything else you want me to do for you, baby?”_

 

 _“Hmm, just keep talking. Or sing.”_ Jinwoo breathed, _“I just really like hearing your voice.”_

 

 _“Then should I sing you the ‘Sleep, My Pretty Jinwoo!”_ song or do you want the _‘Jinwoo,come to bed already!’ song?”_

 

 _“You’re so silly, Seungyoonie.”_ there it was, the sound of Jinwoo’s signature laugh, _“How many ‘Jinwoo songs’ do you have now?”_

 

 _“I don’t know. I can’t count them with my hands. Hundreds!”_ Seungyoon laughs as well, _“Want something new? I’m going to call this one the ‘My Jinwoo misses me tonight’ song.”_

 

_“Why did I agree to marry you again?”_

 

It took Seungyoon a moment to respond. Not because he didn’t know the answer, he simply wanted to savor his husband’s question.

 

_“Because you love me, Jinwoo.”_

 

 

 

 

It was exactly 10 PM in South Korea when Seungyoon called his husband the next night. Jinwoo picked up after a few rings noticeably sounding exhausted.

 

 _“I fell asleep on the couch.”_ he tells Seungyoon, _“I painted the nursery and I put together the dresser we bought from Ikea, the one with the changing table topper.”_

 

 _“I told you to wait for me.”_ Seungyoon pouted, _“I said I’d do it.”_

 

“It’s okay, baby. I was bored.” he heard some rustling, “Also, we got a package from your mother today. I was on the phone with her just a while ago. She sent us some side-dishes...and some of your baby pictures.”

 

 _“Aish! Why did she have to send my pictures as well?”_ Seungyoon ran his hand through his hair, _“I’m going to call her and talk to her tomorrow.”_

 

 _“You looked really cute in them, Seungyoonie.”_ Jinwoo yawned, _“Your mom is really excited too. She’s going to be a grandma soon after-all.”_

 

 _“You sound really tired, baby.”_ Seungyoon exhaled, _“You should go to bed and sleep.”_

 

 _“I’m going up to our bedroom now.”_ Jinwoo yawned again, _“Can you stay with me on the phone again until I fall asleep?”_

 

_“I already planned on doing just that. You don’t have to ask.”_

 

 

 

 

Seungyoon rouses to a dim hotel room and some lady rapidly talking in Chinese on his tv hours later. There’s a slight pressure in his temple - it’s not a headache, at least not yet. He feels around his hotel bed for the remote. He remembers turning the tv off while he was listening to Jinwoo sleep, he probably rolled over it in his sleep or something and managed to turn it back on.

 

Strangely, the remote didn’t seem to be anywhere around him and the tv volume just kept increasing making Seungyoon’s head throb. Frustrated, he stands up and pushes the power button off. It does nothing so what he does next is more drastic, he pulls the tv cord out of the wall plug. _Finally, some quiet._ He grabs his phone that was resting on his pillow, worried that the ruckus might have woken his husband up.

 

“Baby...” there was no response, _“Jinwoo...”_

 

He should be relieved and he would have been, except he knew all too well how his husband sounded in his sleep. There was not a sound from Jinwoo at all, _he was too quiet - an odd gut-stirring kind of quiet._

 

Seungyoon grows wary, he presses his phone closer to his ear. There’s a strange sound in the background, a light reverberation. He strains his ears, cautious. Breathes in, breathes out. Seungyoon puts a hand on his temple trying to fight off the buzzing that has suddenly started in his head.

  
  


_What is that sound?_

 

_Where is it coming from?_

  
  


Seungyoon freezes, as much as he’d like to hope that this was all concocted by his sleep deprived mind, the abrupt gale and drop in temperature in his hotel room told him otherwise.

 

He’s staying on the _38th floor_ , in a _windowless_ hotel room.

 

Familiar notched petals of white fluttered by his feet, it was followed by a more distinct sound coming from Jinwoo’s end of the line.

 

_A scratching._

 

_Furious, frenetic._

 

Seungyoon swallows hard, palms starting to sweat despite the cold. He really fucking hopes it's their cats making that God-awful sound right now.

 

Static fizzes from behind him, _the tv has turned back on._

 

 _Not fucking possible,_ he just pulled the damn tv cord out of the plug minutes ago.

 

Seungyoon falls to his knees, eyes closing as the pain in his head continued to intensify. Bloodied ancient fingers flash behind his eyes, worn down as its rotting brittle fingernails dragged vengefully against the wood... _of their bedroom door._

 

 

 

 

Seungyoon has never gotten dressed so quickly in his entire life. He’s out of his hotel room in ten seconds and banging on the door of another hotel room down the hall in another five.

 

 _“I’m flying back.”_ Seungyoon spats out the moment the door opens to reveal the sleepy and confused face of their coordinator that was traveling together with him on this trip.

 

 _“What do you mean? It’s still dark out.”_ the coordinator says, checking his wristwatch, _“It’s only 3:15 AM. Our flight back isn’t until around noon.”_

 

 _“I’m not asking you for permission. I’m telling you.”_ Seungyoon grounds out, his hand slamming against the door, his frustration showing. _“I’m going back. My husband needs me.”_

 

 _“Wait. What?!”_ The coordinator scratches his head, _“Did something happen to Jinwoo-ssi?”_

 

He doesn’t get an answer, Seungyoon was already gone.

 

 

The taxi speeds along Hong Kong’s brightly lit roads. Seungyoon is in the backseat trying to call his husband - he’s done so more than ten times now and all he gets is Jinwoo’s voice recording telling him to leave a message after the beep. He curses, begs Jinwoo to pick up his phone. The driver grows wary of him, Seungyoon notices the way he’s been glancing at him from the rear view mirror where wooden prayer beads hang.

 

 

He needed to get back and if he had to beg every airline counter in this airport for any seats on any flight back to Korea, he would. But luck wasn’t on his side, he just missed one of them and the next two flights leaving for Korea in the next half-hour are both full. The ground crew for both airlines seem to have taken pity on him and are now checking their passengers to see if anyone would be willing to give up their seat. The only other thing Seungyoon could rely on to secure a seat on either plane is if someone doesn’t show up for their flight.

 

He tries Jinwoo again, still voicemail. His sweaty hands rub against his jeans, it doesn’t have to be him... _anyone will do._

 

He calls Taehyun first, he does late night painting sessions in his spare time that usually last past the crack dawn. He might still be up, he will be  able to get to Jinwoo faster than he does

 

But Taehyun’s phone rings, and rings, and rings.

 

Seungyoon suddenly remembers that Taehyun puts his phone on silent when he’s concentrating really hard on something, like when he paints and when he composes.

 

 

 

 

He calls Mino next, Song Mino. He’s a very good friend of theirs, a freelance illustrator. Mino picks up his call after two rings, his voice deep and thick with sleep.

 

 _“Mino-ya, can you come over to our house right now?!”_ Seungyoon says to him instantly. _“It’s an emergency. I need you to check on Jinwoo.”_

 

 _“What happened to Jinwoo-hyung?!”_ Mino sounded fully awake now, concerned. _“What’s going on?”_

 

 _“I can’t explain right now. Can you please go?”_ Seungyoon was getting desperate, _“He’s all alone. I just need to know he’s alright.”_

 

_“I’d go...if I could, Seungyoon-ah.”_

 

Seungyoon’s heart slowed, _“What do you mean?”_

 

Mino sighed, _“I’m in Osaka as we speak.”_

 

 

 

 

Everything seemed to be working against him, Seungyoon tried to remain rational and not let it get to him. His childhood friend’s number is alight on his phone, Seungyoon begs in his mind that he’ll be able to help him in some way.

 

 _“Seungyoon-ah, do you not know what time it is?”_ his childhood friend sounded a little annoyed but Seungyoon knew that it was all just an act. _“You better not be drunk calling me...”_

 

 _“Seunghoon-hyung, I need you to go see Jinwoo.”_ Seungyoon begged, _“Please.”_

 

 _“Did you two fight?”_ there was some rustling, _“What happened?”_

 

 _“We didn’t fight!”_ Seungyoon gripped his phone tightly. _“I can’t reach him. I haven’t been able to for a while now. I think something happened, I just need to know he’s alright.”_

 

Static suddenly filled the line and when it lifted the line was quiet.

 

_“Seunghoon-hyung...”_

 

There was no reply.

 

 

 

 

Seungyoon finally gets it now.

 

 

 

 

His face goes stiff, his eyes and throat scratchy. He shakes his head, breath hitching.

 

His husband is alone in their house with that _‘thing’_ right now and it was making sure that it stays that way.

 

 

 

 


End file.
